Responsibilities
A work environment supportive of breastfeeding includes flexible break times, a clean and private space, other than a bathroom, to express milk, and information and resources. Mothers who continue breastfeeding after returning to work also need the support of their supervisors, coworkers, and others in the workplace. What can everyone expect as the breastfeeding mom returns to work?
Employer
According to the Business Case for Breastfeeding, employees whose companies provide breastfeeding support consistently report improved morale, better satisfaction with their jobs, and higher productivity. To support breastfeeding after moms return to work, Johns Hopkins can:
- Sponsor a Breastfeeding Support Program for full-time employees.
- Provide information about breastfeeding and breastfeeding at work to employees who are expecting a baby.
- Provide physical space across campuses that can be used to express milk. Some rooms with high use can be equipped with hospital-grade pumps.
- Communicate to leadership, managers, and supervisors:
- Federal Law
- Employers are required to provide “reasonable break time for an employee to express breast milk for her nursing child for 1 year after the child’s birth each time such employee has need to express the milk.”
- Employers are also required to provide “a place, other than a bathroom, that is shielded from view and free from intrusion from coworkers and the public, which may be used by an employee to express breast milk.”
- Maryland Law
A mother may breastfeed her child in any public or private location in which the mother and child are authorized to be.
A person may not restrict or limit the right of a mother to breastfeed her child.
Infants are not permitted at any time in settings where potential health, safety, or noise issues or other hazards may be of concern, including but not limited to laboratories and clinical areas.
- Federal Law
Supervisor
A comprehensive breastfeeding support program that includes the following four components has been shown in business environments to have the greatest return on investment:
- Privacy for milk expression
- Flexible breaks and work options
- Education
- Support
Working together with the breastfeeding mother, you have the opportunity to facilitate the benefits of breastfeeding for baby, mother, Johns Hopkins, and society. Supporting breastfeeding after employees return to work can be a win-win situation for everyone.
Before maternity leave starts:
- Help plan sufficient leave for new mothers to establish breastfeeding. It takes about 4 to 6 weeks for baby and mother to establish a good milk
supply. - Consider allowing infants to be brought to the workplace during breastfeeding times.
- Consider alternative work schedules such as part-time employment, job sharing, flex schedules, work-at-home options, and/or a gradual return to work so breastfeeding employees experience less disruption to the breastfeeding process.
- Support the new mother’s choice of place for pumping. If there is not a designated Mother’s Room near your building, refer her to the Office of Work, Life and Engagement if she cannot find adequate space. (443-997-7000 or mstoltz1@jhu.edu)
- Be sensitive to the fact that not all women:
Know whether they will breastfeed before their baby arrives.
Choose to breastfeed for a variety of reasons.
Will feel comfortable discussing their breastfeeding choices.
When the breastfeeding mother returns to work:
- Review schedule and work place plans. Encourage revisiting the plans after a few weeks to see if any changes need to be made.
- Confirm that the breastfeeding mother has a private, clean place to express breast milk.
- Refer the breastfeeding mother to your HR Manager or the Office of Work, Life and Engagement if she has questions or concerns about breastfeeding after returning to work. (443-997-7000 or mstoltz1@jhu.edu)
- Let others in the office know that you and Johns Hopkins support breastfeeding after returning to work.
- Be sensitive to the privacy of the new mother’s choices.
Mother
Successful breastfeeding requires planning and patience. There are several things you can do to help ensure successful breastfeeding after returning to work.
Before you go on maternity leave:
- Explore your maternity leave options.
- Plan your maternity leave strategically. If you have more time after the baby arrives then you will have longer to initiate breastfeeding. Research shows that a longer time at home after you give birth improves breastfeeding success.
- Consider a more flexible schedule or working from home for a few months after your maternity leave ends. Even one day per week would be helpful.
- Talk to your supervisor and explain your breastfeeding intentions and what that will mean at work (specifically break times). If you prefer, you may consult your HR manager or the Office of Work, Life and Engagement if you have questions. (443-997-7000 or mstoltz1@jhu.edu)
- Select a place to pump. You can pump wherever you feel comfortable.
- Email or call the Mother’s Room contact person to find out if you are eligible to use the room and instructions for accessing the room.
- Based on the place you chose to pump, determine whether you will need your own breast pump or an accessory kit for a hospital-grade pump.
- Find out how long it takes to walk from your office to the pumping location so that you can add that time to your time to pump.
While on leave:
- Establish a good milk supply. If you have any trouble, contact your pediatrician or a lactation consultant before you go back to work.
- Drink lots of water to help build up your milk supply. It takes a few days to increase your supply, so don’t be discouraged if you don’t get much milk at first.
- Practice using your pump. This will reduce trouble shooting once you return to work.
- Establish back-up milk. While practicing using your pump, freeze the milk you pump just in case you run into difficulties at work. Pump once or twice a day after breastfeeding a few weeks before you go back to work (Le Leche League International recommendation).You can give some of the back-up milk to your child care provider so there is extra during a growth spurt or if there are difficulties bottle feeding your baby.
- Once breast feeding is well-established after 4-6 weeks, introduce a bottle. Bottle feeding should be easy and stress-free for your baby and child care provider. Your baby probably won’t take a bottle from you, so ask your partner to work at bottle feeding. Bottle feeding will increase your partner’s bonding with the baby—an added benefit.
When you return to work:
- Consider returning to work on a Wednesday or Thursday so that you will only have 2 or 3 days away from your baby the first week back.
- Give about six 2 oz. containers of milk to your child care provider for a full work day. Babies tend to eat about 2-4 oz. each feeding after they reach 6 weeks of age. It is better to provide smaller containers of milk so none will be wasted. Talk with your child care provider to figure out if more or less is needed.
- Store your milk in a refrigerator or cooler with ice packs.
- You can store your breast milk in shared refrigerators, because the CDC does not list breast milk as “as a body fluid for which most healthcare personnel should use special handling precautions.”
- Consider storing your milk in a cooler or paper bag with your name on the outside to reduce co-worker questions or protests about storing your milk in the shared refrigerator.
- You can store breast milk in a personal cooler with ice packs for up to 24 hrs.
- Remember that short pumping and breastfeeding sessions are better than no sessions at all. If you skip too many sessions, your milk supply will decrease. If you don't have a lot of time, don’t be discouraged from breastfeeding. Some is better than none.
Coworker
As someone who works side by side with the breastfeeding mother, there are a few things you can do to make the work environment supportive and the transition back to work smoother.
Know the facts:
- A breastfeeding mother is allowed to pump where she feels comfortable on campus (her office, a private room).
- The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (ACA) amends the Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938 by requiring employers to provide reasonable break time and a place, other than a restroom, that is private and clean for a mother to express milk.
- Breastfeeding provides the best-known nutrition for the baby and provides important health benefits to baby, mother, and society.
- The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends breastfeeding exclusively for the first six months after the baby’s birth. Supplementing with formula reduces the milk supply needed to breastfeed exclusively.
- A breastfeeding mother will need breaks to pump/express breast milk every three to four hours for about 15-30 minutes each session.
- If a breastfeeding mother skips a session, her milk supply will decrease and her breasts will become uncomfortably full (which can cause significant discomfort).
- A breastfeeding mothe can store her breast milk in a shared refrigerator because the CDC does not list breast milk as “as a body fluid for which most healthcare personnel should use special handling precautions.” Breast milk will not affect your food.
- A breastfeeding mother will:
- Miss fewer days of work because her baby will be healthier.
- Be more productive and happier at work.
- Fulfill her job responsibilities which will probably make your job easier.
- Johns Hopkins saves money because of reduced employee turnover and health care costs.
Be supportive and flexible:
- Show interest in the baby by asking questions or to see a picture of the baby.
- Acknowledge and applaud the decision to continue providing breast milk to the baby after returning to work.
- Offer flexibility in scheduling meetings, breaks, and coverage of job responsibilities.
- Ask what you can do to help make breastfeeding at work easier in your work place.
- Be sensitive to the privacy of the new mother’s choices.
References
References
Tulane University School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine